Pretoria, South Africa, 17–19 November 2026 - The Forecast4Africa Co-Development Workshop, co-organised by AfriClimate AI, Agricultural Research Council (ARC), and United Nations University Institute for Water Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), took place in Pretoria marking a quiet but important continental reset. The workshop brought together 65 experts from 17 countries, including representatives from 9 National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and 32 organisations across academia, government, NGOs, and industry. With 24 speakers, 19 technical talks, and two panel discussions, the event focused on strengthening Africa’s climate resilience through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and locally grounded technical expertise and data.
Africa continues to face a major climate data gap, operating at only about 12% of the World Meteorological Organization’s recommended station density. This limits the ability to observe extremes and provide accurate, localized forecasts, with direct implications for agriculture, disaster preparedness, and economic planning. Forecast4Africa emphasises co-development rather than technology transfer, positioning African NMHSs as co-creators of AI forecasting systems that reflect local climates and operational realities.
Key takeaways from the expert and participant discussions highlighted that expanding and modernising ground-based observing networks remains the top priority for improving early warning systems across the continent. Participants also stressed the need to break down data silos by promoting open-access frameworks and more centralised platforms so that observations can feed into both national and global models. Equally important was the recognition that new AI tools will only deliver lasting impact if matched by investment in institutional capacity, including training and developing a skilled, AI-ready workforce of meteorologists, data engineers, and AI-literate forecasters.
A key outcome of the workshop was the establishment of a continental Community of Practice (CoP) to sustain collaboration and coordination. The CoP is structured around three focus areas: operational AI forecasting and NMHS capacity, sector use-case co-development, and joint research and policy engagement. These groups will support continued knowledge exchange, shared learning, and alignment between research advances and operational needs across the continent.
Looking ahead, the next major milestone for Forecast4Africa is the development of a technical AI-based medium-range weather forecasting software package co-designed specifically for African meteorological services. This operational tool will translate the workshop’s collaboration into practical capability, enabling NMHSs to integrate AI-driven forecasts into their daily workflows and strengthen early warning systems for the communities they serve.
Explore the Discussions
The wealth of knowledge shared during the workshop is available to everyone. You can watch the 19 technical talks and 2 panel discussions on the AfriClimate AI YouTube Channel as well as the Forecast4Africa Co-Development Workshop Highlights.
This video provides a visual overview of the workshop's key moments and the diverse group of experts working to advance AI-powered forecasting across the continent.
